Red flags mean the ice is unsafe for skating.
By: David Campbell
The Princeton Recreation Department wants people who skate on area lakes and ponds this winter to be safe and has issued the following advisory:
There are only three sites authorized for skating in Princeton Borough and Princeton Township: the ponds in Community Park North and Barbara Smoyer Park, and on Lake Carnegie between the Harrison Street and Washington Road bridges. These sites are checked by an ice officer, who deems them safe or unsafe.
Red flags mean the ice is unsafe for skating. Skate only when the ice has been determined safe and white flags are flying. Community Park North has a flag on top of the berm near the Mountain Avenue jughandle off Route 206 as well as a small pennant flag on a sign near the pond. Smoyer Park has two pennant flags on each side of its pond on sign and buoy poles, and Lake Carnegie has flags next to the Harrison Street Bridge and on top of the Princeton University Boat House off Washington Road.
Skaters must use common sense at all times and be alert to changing ice and weather conditions. Those who choose to skate do so at their own risk. Remember, the skating areas are natural bodies of water, and when they freeze, some irregularities may occur on the surface. Never skate alone. Parents are responsible for their children when skating.
Ice skating is permitted only when the ice is a minimum of 4 inches thick in the entire authorized area, and when the surface is considered safe that is, when the majority of the surface is smooth, not rough, bumpy or jagged. If the red flag is up, it is up for a reason. Just because the ice may be thick enough doesn’t mean it is always safe.
Call the Recreation Department hotline at 688-2040 for a 24-hour recorded message on ice conditions. Please do not call the township or borough police departments or the public safety office at Princeton University. These lines must be kept available for emergency calls.
Anyone with questions and concerns can contact the Recreation Department at 921-9480 for an ice-skating brochure or for more information.

